[victoria24]

i assume that we will be going into nz next month on a visitors visa having just returned from our recce with 8 suitcases, 4 bags and 2 laptop bags. our eoi (hopefully ITA) will be with inz in london at that point although we will have an nz address.
will this cause us any issues? should we just tell the immigration officer the truth and will they know our status anyway or should we say that we plan to stay for 6 months on our jollys cos to be fair until we get pr we will be on holiday!

[IanW99]

...
should we just tell the immigration officer the truth and will they know our status anyway or should we say that we plan to stay for 6 months on our jollys cos to be fair until we get pr we will be on holiday!

Well it is an offence to lie or mislead an immigration official, so you definitely want to be truthful.

And if you do lie and are found out then the consequences are even more severe:-

Applicants who will not normally be issued with a residence visa or granted a residence permit, unless granted a character waiver (see A5.25.1(b) below), include any person who has been:

convicted at any time of any offence against the immigration, citizenship or passport laws of any country.

AFAIK, it is not a problem to visit NZ on a visitor visa and seek work (you are just not allowed to take up work without a suitable permit), so I don't see that you would have any problems with telling the truth anyways. Still trying to confirm this "fact" though.

Ian

[Janey]

just a thought will your recce count towards your 6 months?

[victoria24]

just a thought will your recce count towards your 6 months? i dont think so as i left... ian???

[Helsandfamily]

I thgought that it was 6 Months in a 12 month period - may be wrong.... Ian....?????

[Janey]

I am sure because there awas an earlier post about a grandparent who had been overhere for 6 and tried to return and struggled due to a linit in 18 months?

[BkyMonster]

I think that if you are out of NZ for the same amount of time you were in your time allowed to spend there on a visitors visa resets. May be wrong, but that was the impression I got from some looking into things I did about a year ago.

Did you get asked the purpose of your stay before? We didn't really when we arrived on a visitors. We filled out the card stating the purpose of our visit was to visit friends (as we did for all of 2 days). We just asked for a 3 month visitors visa and we didn't even have 3 month tickets (2 months and change). They didn't check our return tickets or anything.
I'm guessing you'll be getting a work permit fairly quick, so I'd just say your intent is to visit until you are legally allowed to do otherwise if anyone asks.
The people at the airport don't know your status and no reason to overburden them with details.

[JandM]

I am sure because there awas an earlier post about a grandparent who had been overhere for 6 and tried to return and struggled due to a linit in 18 months?(Don't know the specific post you're thinking of, but it could refer to this. The grandparent's/parent's visa is another thing again - that's what has the '18 months' connection. You can be in the country for 18 months out of a 3-year period, in stints of a maximum of 6 months.)

[M-Squared]

Don't have any evidence of any job offer or work contract on you, and you'll be fine. :nice1 As far as immigration are concerned at Auckland airport, you're visiting to look for work. You're on another recce trip to confirm where you want to live, and have more interviews lined up. :nice1 If they grill you, you can say you have an EOI in, but as long as you don't mention the job offer (in which case they'd be expecting you to have a work visa/permit), you'll be golden. So if you have no evidence of it on you (you can pick it up from HR when you get here, then if you want I can show you where NZIS is in town), there's nothing they can prove.